Mazda Just Made the “Boyhood” of Car Commercials

We are not against using a grand sweep of humanity to sell sports-cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5UjmHOl4pU

Manipulating tender human emotions for profit is, essentially, the definition of advertising, but Mazda has gone above and beyond and created this, the “Boyhood” of car commercials. The spot, “Driving Matters,” is for the brand’s new MX-5 Miata, and shows the arc of car-lover’s life, from license to a beloved first car (an old  Miata) to the loss of that car, through fatherhood, and eventually, a glorious reclamation of self, illustrated through the purchase of the new Miata. It is a heart-rending Miata Ouroboros. It is an automotive remake of the first few minutes of “Up.” It is testament to the power of rhyming couplets. We might be skeptical if another brand pulled this move, but Mazda is one of the few car companies whose entire line-up revolves around driving pleasure, and we’ve fallen for this 90 second love story.